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To: Davis
The "laundry list" California ballot, which has been previewed on FR, runs to seven pages in print form. It must run to about the same number of pages in electronic form. On the top of every page it says "Vote for one candidate."

From my experience with balloting, and reading the literature on that, I'm ready to wager right here and now that at least 50,000 ballots -- more than the number that the three-judge panel got their knickers in a twist over -- will make the following error: They will vote for one candidate per page or nearly every page.

All those ballots will be counted on the recall, but will be "spoiled ballots" for the replacement election. It will be such an obvious mistake that observers afterwards will say "How did they make that dumb move?" There will be calls for "better ballots" etc. There will be litigation.

H.L. Mencken once wrote, "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the average American." I add this, "No one ever missed a bet, underestimating the reading ability of the average American voter."

I now expect that what the press will headline as "THE UNDERVOTE" will be at least 8%. That's how much smaller the counted vote for replacement will be than the vote on the recall. But that will include tens of thousands who do not vote at all on the replacement. (The right NOT TO VOTE is also constitutionally protected.) And it will include all the dummies who ignore the plain, repeated instruction to "Vote for one candidate," and vote for two or more anyway.

Mark my words on this.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "Lessons for Iraq from General Washington, Major Andre, and Der Fuhrer Adolf Hitler," discussion thread on FR. Article is also on ChronWatch.

3 posted on 09/22/2003 8:34:28 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob (Everyone talks about Congress; I am doing something about it.)
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To: Congressman Billybob
It's ridiculous that they are not in alphabetical order AND I understand that they are not the same in each district.

The important part is the ballot about the recall itself. Does No mean No Davis? or No Recall? How does that particular question read? Does anyone know? I think Clinton kept stressing NO!!

8 posted on 09/22/2003 8:42:40 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: Congressman Billybob
Yes, you're right, friend, there will be many spoiled ballots. There's no chance that any set of instructions will eliminate ambiguity and error. And I guess that errors will be greaetrr in "minority" districts. So?

Whatever the number of spoiled ballots and the racial character of the voters who spoil their ballots, where is the someone who has been deprived of equal protection. Point him out, please.

You can't point him out? Then no one's constititional rights have been violated. Those rights don't exist in limbo or hover in the air. They must belong to real people.

The rights the 9th Circuit seems to be interested in are statistical abstractions that serve not-so-hidden agendas.

Throw the case out.
12 posted on 09/22/2003 11:40:13 AM PDT by hrhdave
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